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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Ind. Gov't. - You're hired . . . fired, 4 workers hear
"You're hired . . . fired, 4 workers hear: Ex-Commerce managers given pink slips say they had job offers from Daniels' staff rescinded." That is the headline to a story today in the business section of the Indianapolis Star by J.K. Wall.
My sub-headline would have been: "Commerce Secretary Pat Miller shows a lot of class in an unfortunate situation."
Some quotes from the story:
Four former Commerce managers from the Democratic administration of Gov. Joe Kernan were verbally offered jobs in Daniels' administration in late December and early January. Within weeks, each person said, they got the proverbial pink slip.One woman, Vicki Kellerman, said she received a letter confirming her appointment the same day Secretary of Commerce Pat Miller told her she had to go.
Jane Jankowski, spokeswoman for Daniels, said the confusion resulted because the leadership of Commerce, which now has been replaced by the Indiana Economic Development Corp., got started before Daniels issued his directives on hiring. * * *
[Kellerman, an] 8-year veteran of economic development spent the last two years in Madison directing a Commerce regional office.
She ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for state representative against Cleo Duncan in 1996.
On Jan. 11, the day after Daniels took office, Miller and Mickey Maurer, the IEDC chief, asked Kellerman to remain in Madison, Kellerman said. She agreed.
On Jan. 31, Kellerman received a letter at her home from Janey Trout, Commerce's director of human resources, confirming her re-appointment, stating her salary, and congratulating her on her continued work at Commerce.
About an hour after reading the letter, Kellerman said, she received a call from Miller, who asked if she could visit her in person. At Kellerman's house, Miller broke the bad news. [my emphasis]
Kellerman recalled Miller saying, "It's very frustrating when you pick out the best people for the job, and they don't get approved across the street." The governor's office at the Statehouse sits across Capitol Avenue from Commerce's offices.
Miller told Kellerman that she had failed a background check. Kellerman already had passed two background checks, which generally examine criminal history and driving records, under previous administrations.
Kellerman recalls Miller asking, "Are you very political?" Kellerman told Miller about her Democrat politicking. "She just said, 'Well, I suppose that's it,' " Kellerman said.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 24, 2005 08:41 AM
Posted to Indiana Government